Rachael Brent v. John Armfield. Petition for Freedom Jennifer Guiliano Trevor Muñoz William G. Thomas III transcription and encoding Elizabeth Askren Kaci L. Nash Laura K. Weakly University of Nebraska-Lincoln University of Maryland National Endowment for the Humanities 2014 O Say Can You See University of Nebraska-Lincoln Center for Digital Research in the Humanities
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 Petition for Freedom Our transcription is based on a digital image of the original. Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia Local Government Records Collection, Arlington County Court Records Arlington County (Va.) Judgments (Freedom Suits), 1795-1858, Box 2 Case Papers Petition Civil Petition for Freedom October 1835 Buckner, Ariss Hewitt, William Alexandria County (Va.) Loudoun County (Va.) Alexandria (Va.) Washington (D.C.) Brent, Rachael Armfield, John Hooe, Bernard United States. Circuit Court (District of Columbia) Alexandria (Washington, D.C.) added xml:ids reviewed and edited Encoded and transcribed

To the Honble the Judges of the Circuit Court for Alexandria in the District of Columbia.

The Petition of Rachael, a woman of colour who calls herself Rachael Brent, now in the jail of Alexandria to which she was committed by a justice of the peace, and taken from the possession of John Armfield, represents that she was born and raised in Loudoun County in Virginia, the property of Ariss Buckner. That in the spring of the year Eighteen hundred & twenty seven the said Ariss Buckner carried the said Rachael, together with some others of his slaves, to reside in the City of Washington in the District of Columbia, and a record of said removal was made in the office of William Hewitt, Register of the said City of Washington on the twenty first day of April in the year Eighteen hundred and twenty seven, and she continued to reside in the said City of Washington until the fall season of the year Eighteen hundred and thirty two, for more than five years, without having been carried back to Virginia during the said period of more than five years, during all which time the sd Ariss Buckner resided on his farm in Loudoun County in Virginia. Your Petitioner also shews that on or about the month of October 1832, the said Ariss Buckner caused her to be removed from the City of Washington, and carried again to his farm in Loudoun County, where he sold & delivered her as a slave to John Armfield: She therefore shews that she is illegally detained in slavery, and asks to be permitted to bring her suit, in forma paupis, to obtain her freedom; and she also asks that the said John Armfield may be required to appear, and shew cause, if any he can, why such permission should not be granted, and as in duty bound will ever pray &c.

Rachael Brent.

I have examined the facts & allegations contained in the above Petition, and believe the Petitioner is entitled to her freedom. B. Hooe atty

Rachael Brent's Petition to sue for her Freedom